Wire-clutch.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

H FRIEND WIRE CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION FILED 00127, 1907.

/NVE/VTR Howard Mien/6L.

WITNESSES:

TH: Nonkls FE1-Ess co., wasumcron, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD FRIEND, OF LEXINGTON, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WALTER J. STEVENS, 0F LEXINGTON, OKLAHOMA.

' 1; .j 1 WIRE-CLUTCH.

Application filed October 7, 19074 T o all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HOWARD FRIEND, residing at Lexington, in the county of Cleveland and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and Improved Wire-Clutch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is in the nature of an improved device for clutching, supporting or clamping all kinds of woven wire and barbed fence wire to trees, wooden or concrete fence or other posts, and for carrying telephone and telegraph wires.

My invention, in its generic nature, comprehends a wire receiving or clutching device comprising a single member formed of wrought or malleable cast iron or other suitable material for the purposes stated, which has an elongated transversely disposed socket, a centrallyT apertured boss on the rear portion thereof, whose aperture registers with an aperture formed in the front part of the said member, whereby the device can be readily secured to a support by means of a bolt or nail, which latter forms a guard for holding the wire from jumping or otherwise slippingl out of the socket or seat formed by the elongated slot in the said member.

My invention, in its more subordinate nature, comprehends a clutch or wire holding device, embodying the peculiar construction of parts hereinafter fully explained, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whicln- Figure l, illustrates my invention as applied for use, for clamping woven wire to fence posts or trees. Fig. 2, is a similar view that shows the same applied for supporting and clutching wire strands upon a metallic post. Fig. 3, is a view that shows how my improvement is used for clamping woven or 'other wire to a concrete post, a special form of bolt being used in this arrangement. Fig. 4, illustrates my device used as an insulator and holder for telegraph wires, and Fig. 5, is a perspective view illustrating the simplest form of my device.

In carrying out my invention, my improvement in its simplest forni as shown in Fig. 5, comprises a metallic body having a rear or main portion in the nature of a tubular boss and a front portion 2 that is vertically elongated, whereby to extend below the said boss l. il.;

The front portion 2 has a vertical recess 3 Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Serial No. 396,310.

that extends below the boss l whereby to form a seat 4 in a plane below the aperture in the said boss for receiving and supporting a wire strand or strands in a plane below the said aperture for the purposes presently explained.

The front end 5 which has the shape of an ear,that extends parallel with the downwardly extending portion 6 and the said ear 5 has an aperture 50 that registers with the aperture l0.

In the manufacture of my improved device, the same is preferably made of malleable casting or wrought iron, whereby the front end or ear can be readily bent back against the rear portion 6 by hammering, when driving a nail or spike 7 home, when the device is secured to a wooden post, or when upsetting the end of the nail or long bolt 70 when the device is secured toa concrete post, as shown in Fig. 3.

When my improved device is used in conlnection with a concrete post, as shown in Fig. 3, the bolt 70 has a wedge 7l at the rear end, which is provided to prevent the bolt pulling out of the post, it being understood that when this latter 'form is used, the bolt 70 is first driven through the post O from the rear, after which the clutch device carrying the wire strand X is then slip ed onto the projected front end of the bo t and the wire is Yhrmly held from jumping out of the clutch seat by upsetting the end of the bolt, which is done by hammering and bending or clutching the front end 5 to the clutch device against the rear portion 6, as shown.

, Then using the tree as a post or support as shown in Fig. 1, the front ends 5 of the clamp .or clutch devices are not hammered back to close the cap in the slot and the wire is not firmly gripped therebetween as is done when the wire is connected to the iixed post Y, as shown in Fig. l, the said ends 5 being left parallel as shown at c-b-cd on Fig. l, whereby to allow the wires supported thereby to freely slide over their seats to prevent breaking the wires when the tree is moved by the wind or otherwise.

When used on a tree, my device also prevents the bark of the tree from growing against the wire and breaking the wire and injuring the tree.

So far as described and shown, it will be readily apparent that my device possesses many advantages over the ordinary wire fas- I the fastening n'ail penetrates the post to such tening means, since it can be made nearly as cheap as the ordinary fence staple commonly used, and it can be utilized for firmly gripping the wire or sustaining it loosely in every event, however, it being so secured that the Wire cannot jump out of the seat provided therefor, since the fastening bolt or nail forms the closure member for holding the wire within the socket or seat formed in the said device. v

When fastened to a common wood post,

an extent that the wires cannot become loosened until the post is rotted down to the fastening nail.

For connecting with concrete posts, my invention is especially advantageous, since it canl be easily secured u on and positively held from pulling out of t ie said post, as the wedge member 7l clamps the lock for holding the bolt 70 from being drawn forward out of the said posts.

My device may also be utilized as aninsulator as shown in Fig. 4, but in this form a separote fillincr ieee 8 of insulating 'material is used for ho c ing the telegraph wire down upon the seat, such piece 8 being also a ertured `for the passage of the securing bo t 9 which, in this form, may or may not have the Wedge key at` the rear.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the .ad-

vantages 'and the variety of uses to which my improved device may be p readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

Having thus described myinvention, what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1- 1. A device of the character stated, which comprises a body formed of a single piece,

having a vtubular boss-like rear ortion and a vertical recessed front portion, the

ut, will lbe lfront member of which has an aperture in provide a pendent seat for the wire, and an outer clamping member, the said clamping member having an aperture in alinement with the tubular boss, said aperture and the boss being so arranged whereby to receive a single s ike for clamping the device to the boss, anc 'a wire within the seat of the device.

3.; The `combination with the post and the bolt havin@ a wedge shaped portion at one end, the said bolt being adapted to pass and project through the post of the clutch device apertured `at the upper end to slip on the penetrating end of the bolt and having a vertically recessed portion that is pendent from the apertured portion, for the purposes described.

4. Thecombination with the post and the bolt of the clutch device formed of a main or body portion having an apertured boss, the front vertically recessed portion having an aperture that registers with the aperture in the boss and a filling piece that seats in the recess and has an aperture for registering with the other aperture whereby the severalparts can be slipped onto the bolt, as set ort HOWARD FRIEND.

Witnesses:

J. L. GRAHAM, R. L. CARPENTER. 

